Over the last three years, McDonald’s restaurants across Glasgow have raised over £333,000 for a new Ronald McDonald House in Scotland, due to open in Spring 2018.

The money raised is going towards the new 26-bedroom ‘home away from home’ facility for families of children being treated at the new Royal Hospital for Children and Young People in Edinburgh.

McDonald’s restaurants, owned and operated by Andrew Gibson, Kate Walker, Jim McLean and Steve Tomlin, raised the sum by contributing the money customers pay for the brown food bags, as well as organising several fundraising events such as taking part in Tough Mudder and absailing down the Glasgow crane.

It is known that there is no requirement for the ‘bag tax’ money charged in Scotland to go towards a charity, however, the local franchisees and their teams felt this was a great way to support the new Ronald McDonald House and give their customers a chance to do so too.

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Franchisee Kate Walker who owns six restaurants across Motherwell, East Kilbride, Bellshill, Castlemilk and Rutherglen, said: “For the last three years, the staff, customers and I have been proud to contribute the bag tax money from the restaurants to this important project.

"Ronald McDonald Houses offer an invaluable service to families throughout the UK and we look forward to getting involved in more fundraising for the Scottish house and the wider charity in the future.”

The new Ronald McDonald House, which will cost in the region of £3 million, is expected to look after as many as 500 families each year. It will be located on the top floor of the new children’s hospital and will include communal areas such as lounges, kitchens, laundry facilities and a playroom, along the same model as the other 14 Ronald McDonald Houses across the UK. Every bedroom has a telephone directly linked to the children’s ward.

This is the second Ronald McDonald House in Scotland. There is already has a 30-bedroom House in Glasgow which has also received longstanding support from staff and customers of McDonald’s.